Czech leader Milos Zeman laughed at the suggestion that Russian diplomats are in fact spies that could well push Czech officials to Kremlin-favored political moves. "Is it possible to imagine how a certain person comes to, say, the lady (ex-head of the Czech parliament Miroslava) Nemtsova and begins to offer her jewelry and other gifts for her to fight for the country's withdrawal from NATO?", The president said ironically interview with Blesk network TV channel. Excessive measure, he called the expulsion of Russian diplomats, noting that "they will eventually return". Also, the president made a statement that Moscow did not exert any pressure on him in connection with the incident in Salisbury. Thus, Zeman explained his "pro-Russian orientation", pointed out by some local politicians. "I wish to know the facts. I, of course, will welcome if the UK submits any evidence that the Russians wanted to kill the double agent Skripal, "the Czech leader said in an interview. Let us recall that earlier 16 countries of the EU, including the Czech Republic, announced the sending of Russian ambassadors to their native lands. As Zeman admitted, the selection of those who should leave the country was carefully conducted and laid down on the shoulders of Prime Minister Andrei Babish and the leadership of the special services. The President of the Republic also reported on the assignment to the head of counterintelligence, who should find out whether the "Rookie" was ever developed on the territory of the Czech Republic, or, perhaps, there was a warehouse in the country where chemical weapons were stored. According to Zeman, the answer will be received within a month. Mass exchange of diplomats began the day before, on March 26, when the countries of the European Union together with the USA, Canada, Norway and Ukraine announced the expulsion of ambassadors because of the so-called "business of Skripal". Prior to this, the rotation of Russian-English cadres occurred between London and Moscow.

However, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that the Russian side will be followed by an adequate response to the conspirators, among whom will be the closure of the Consulate General of Russia in the United States. Meanwhile, a number of countries have not yet decided to boycott. Among the partisans of Luxembourg. According to the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the smallest state of the EU Jean Asselborn, in his homeland and without expulsion there are not so many Russian diplomats.

"Despite all our efforts, it has not been possible to establish that one of them is a spy or works against the interests of the country," the minister explained on the air of the radio program 5 minutes RTL. In the course of the conversation, Asselborn also spoke about one hundred percent solidarity with the British authorities.

Former Colonel GRU Sergey Skripal and his daughter Julia were poisoned on March 4 in the center of the British Salisbury. The United Kingdom attributes the fault of Russia, which is forced to categorically deny it.